Projectile



Patented June 8, i943 UNITE rsNr orrics PROJECTILE Ernest G. Whipple, Stratford, Conn, assignor to Remington Arms Company, Inc, a corporation of Delaware 2 Claims.

This invention relates to projectiles and more particularly to projectiles of the type known as mushrooming projectiles.

When a lead projectile, after being fired from a gun, strikes a target, deformation from the long cylindrical shape occurs, said deformation being desirably of a larger diameter than the original projectile so as to prove effective in a soft target such as an animal. With the advent of smokeless powder and increase of Velocity, the use of lead became difficult because of the stripping action which occurred in the engagement with the rifiing in the barrel, thereby causing inaccuracy due to the absence of rotary motion. This also appreciably fouled the bore of the weapon. As a remedy for this, bullets with hard metal jackets were used, but because of the higher velocities they were not as effective in soft objects and would merely pass through the object without the desired increase in diameter or mushrooming effect.

Various methods have been suggested to cause the bullet to properly deform or mushroom upon striking the target. As the velocities of the bullets were continually increased, it was found that in many instances the jacket material would separate from the core upon impact, or that the jacket would be constructed so that mushrooming would not take place. Similarly, the same bullet at lower velocities would not be satisfactory due to the lack of mushrooming of the bullet.

Various efforts have been made to construct bullets which could be depended upon to penetrate and mushroom upon impact in targets of varying hardness and at different velocities, but with indifferent success.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a bullet with a relatively hard jacket which will mushroom uniformly and properly and which is suitable for use with the modern gun of comparatively high Velocity.

A further object of the invention is to provide a simplified means of manufacturing a suitable jacket whereby one step in the process of manufacturing will be eliminated.

Further objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description and drawing, which are merely illustrative thereof.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a completed bullet.

Fig. 2 is an elevation partially in section of a bullet.

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of a cup before the forming to size and forming of the edge.

Fig. 4 is the same cup after forming to size and forming the edge.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view partially in section showing a die and punch with a cup placed in the die ready for the forming operation.

Fig. 6 is similar to Fig. 5, except that the punch has been advanced into the die and the cutting-off operation is substantially complete.

Fig. 7 is similar to Figs. 5 and 6, except that the punch has continued its movement through the die and the cup is shown after being separated from the end of the punch in its completed form.

Fig. 8 is a View illustrating the effect as the bullet strikes a target, showing how the mushrooming starts.

Fig. 9 is an elevation of the die used for making the punch.

Fig. 10 is a plan View of the die used for-making the punch.

Referring to the embodiment of Fig. 1, Iii may be a relatively hard metal jacket, such as of copper or other suitable material, and H is the soft metal core, which may be of lead or other suitable material. The edge I2 is in the form of scallops or serrations having indentations or notches l3 therein. The bullet shown in Fig. 1, as it strikes a soft target M, such as shown in Fig. 8, will be deformed or flattened at the projecting lead or soft portion ll. As this continues, the scalloped edges l2 will fold backwardly and will tear apart along the general direction of the juncture of the indentations l3 until the soft point H is mushroomed out, such as at l5, with the scallops turned back, as at It of Fig. 8. Due to the formation of the serrated edge, the mushrooming is assisted in its initiation as the bullet strikes the target, the scallops tending to tear back evenly along the line of the indentations l3, thereby causing uniform expansion with a definite splitting line. This also allows the expansion to start without a confinement of the lead within the jacket. In some instances, when the jacket of the conventional form is not sufficiently weak, the lead at the point will flatten out upon striking the target andthe jacket, instead of starting to mushroom out, will continue forward and merely shear off the lead that has been mushroomed or flattened-out, thereby lessening the effectiveness and eliminating the mushrooming action, which is undesirable. The ease in which mushrooming is started by the exposed lead portion and the lack of confinement within the jacket, assisted by the splitting along the line of the indentations I3, causes the bullet, made according to this invention, to be more effective at the longer ranges, wherein the residual energy is so small that in many of the older type mushrooming bullets it will be insufficient to cause the proper flattening of the bullet.

In Fig. 2, the jacket 10 may have an enlarged or widened portion ll near the base 18. This base may be substantially closed as shown, although it is not necessary that it be so closed. The widened portion assists in preventing the stripping of the relatively hard jacket from the soft metal core; such is described more fully in my co-pending application, Serial No. 259,842, filed March 4, 1939. The cups may be formed from a blank, in accordance with the method shown in the aforementioned application, and take the general form shown in Fig. 3, havin the increased diameter portion ll near the base l8. This method consists in maintaining the thickness of the wall portion of the jacket in the various operations substantially the same as that of the original blank, and using a punch, particularly in the first cupping operation, which has a comparatively sharp shoulder so as to weaken or thin a portion of the metal in the side wall adjacent the base. This produces a definite widened interior portion adjacent the base which increases in diameter by thinning and stretching as the cup is passed through successive operations.

The upper edge 19 upon the completion of this operation is substantially circular and is not smooth or finished m appearance, but is merely that which results from the ordinary drawing operation of a cooperating punch and die. In the usual practice, the relatively hard metal jacket is drawn to the correct size, but the open edge is formed similar to that of Fig. 3, and is thereafter placed in a machine which cuts the jacket to its correct length and with a smooth finish. In accordance with this invention, this last sizing and cutting-off to the desired length is accomplished in one operation, as will now be described.

A diagrammatic illustration of the process is contained in Figs. and 7, wherein 20 is the punch and 2| the die. The punch has a tapering portion 22 and scallop 23 conforming to the desired finished scallops of the jacket. A cup 24 is placed in the die and the punch started in its downwardly movement, as shown in Fig. 5. Movement of the punch downwardly carries the cup through the die, which squeezes or draws it to its final size, thickness and shape. As the punch continues downwardly, as in Fig. 6, the tapering portion 22 of the punch in cooperation with the walls of the die thin out the upper edge until the point shown in Fig. 6 is substantially reached, at which time the outer diameter 25 of the punch so cooperates with the die as to pinch or cut-01f the cup to its proper or desired length and at the same time form the scallops cr serrations therein. The scrap portion (not shown) of the cup may remain on the punch and be carried upwards when the punch again moves up and can be removed by any suitable means. As the punch continues downwardly, as at Fig. 7, suitable stripping means may be employed to remove the cup 24 from the punch, said punch then being drawn upwardly in readiness for the next cup to be formed into a completed jacket. The transition of the cup from the general form shown in Fig. 3 to the completed jacket in Fig. 4 is thus done in a single operation.

When the soft core is placed within the jacket, suitable tools may be employed to properly shape the scallops and cause them to follow the contour of the nose of the projectile, the indentations l3 and spaces between the scallops l2 serving to allow this formation.

The number of scallops used is determined by the space necessary therebetween to allow the closing in thereof to follow the contour of the nose of the bullet. It is to be understood that the number of scallops shown is merely for the purpose of illustration, as is also the form thereof. It is to be also understood that the bullet may be made without the increased diameter in the jacket to lock the core therein.

The punch 20 may be made by means of a die similar to that shown in Figs. 9 and 10. The straight portion 25 of the punch is turned or otherwise formed without the scallops 23 therein, the straight surface 25 terminating in a square shoulder where it joins the tapering portion 22. The punch may then be inserted in opening 26 of the die until the porti0n 25 rests on top of the die. Suitable force exerted on the punch then will force the shoulder of the straight portion into the indentations 2'1 and form the scallops 23.

It is apparent that the bullet with the projecting lead portion and jacket with scalloped edges provides an improved and superior mushrooming bullet giving uniform mushrooming action at varying ranges. It is also apparent that a simplified method of the manufacture of jackets has been provided, wherein the number of operations has been lessened.

As the invention is believed to provide a novel improved mushrooming bullet and a method of manufacturing same, it is not limited to the de tails shown herein, described herein and illustrated in the drawing, but is to be construed as covering all equivalent devices falling within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In the manufacture of serrated edge bullet jackets by passing a cup through a die, the process of forming said jacket comprising the steps of exteriorly forming said cup to size, forming an interiorly tapered wall portion near the mouth of said cup while keeping the exterior diameter substantially unchanged, and forming serrations at the mouth thereof, all in a single pass through said die.

2. In the manufacture of serrated edge bullet jackets having an interiorly enlarged wall portion adjacent the base, a major wall portion of substantially uniform thickness and an interiorly tapered wall portion adjacent the serrated edge, the method of forming said jacket by passing a cup through a die comprising the successive steps of reforming said cup by exteriorly forming t'.) size while stretching and thinning the wall adjacent the base to form an interior enlargement adjacent said base, forming an interiorly tapered wall portion adjacent the mouth of said cup while keeping the exterior diameter substantially unchanged. and forming serrations at the mouth thereof, all in a single pass through said die.

ERNEST G. WHIPPLE. 

